Factory Fire Kills Bangladeshi Worker

Happened September 28 In Acrylic Yarn Store

A Bangladeshi garment worker is dead and five others are injured after a fire at Mega Dyeing Ltd., a factory that was recently inspected by the Accord on Fire and Building Safety. Accord engineers are investigating the incident and assessing the damage caused to the factory.

Composed of more than 150 apparel brands, the Accord on Fire and Building Safety was formed last year after the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1,100 people, mostly in the garment trade. Since then, the Accord has completed more than 1,000 safety inspections, publishing a number of corrective action plans online.

The Mega Dyeing fire started on September 28 in an acrylic yarn store on the third floor of the building and spread to upper floors through an unprotected lift shaft, according to a statement from the Accord. It took firefighters almost five hours to get the blaze under control. Prior to that, a worker “fire brigade” had attempted to control the fire with in-house equipment, but ultimately evacuated the building. Three workers were injured during their attempt to fight the fire. Bangladeshi authorities are investigating the cause of death in the fire’s only fatality.

The Accord on Fire and Building Safety first inspected the Mega Dyeing factory for fire and electrical safety on August 28, and will continue working with the owner, brands and labor groups to carry out the improvements identified by its inspections. “This tragic event again highlights the urgency of assessing ready-made garment facilities for safety and working in earnest to ensure such safety problems are properly corrected as soon as possible,” read the statement released by the Accord.

The group’s comments follow closely after another factory fire at an Accord-inspected facility. An August 31 fire at Cordial Design Ltd. in Mirpur, Dhaka, injured five factory workers. The Accord had inspected the factory for fire and electrical safety in July, but didn’t assess the separate storage facility where the fire broke out because the factory owners didn’t tell its engineers about the structure, according to a September statement from the Accord.